Air washing and drying process for ice-making machines



Feb. 4, 1930.. J. FQLCO AIR WASHING AND DRYING PROCESS FOR ICE MAKING MACHINES Filed March 16, 192'? gmemtop it Patented Feb. 4,1930

JN TED' TA?!Es PATENT FECE v aosnrnrorco, or TACOMA, WASHINGTON AIR WASHING AND DRYING'PBOCESS FOR ICE-MAKING MACHINES Application filed. March 16, 1927. Serial No. 175,843.

' means for washing and drying the air thus supplied; third, to reduce the power needed for supplying the water and airto such a plant by reducing the amount of machinery "used and therefore saving some 'ofthe mechanical efficiency of the plant; fourth, to

1' reduce the capital invested and the floor space used by sucha plant; and fifth, to provide. a' simple, cheap and easily installed and controlled means whereby the air-is supplied 7 to the ice machine. f n

i I attain these and other objects by the process and apparatus illustrated in a dia r grammatic manner in the accompanying drawing. l 1

'In the art of making ice by machinery it is usual to'inject, into the water being frozen, a, stream of clean dry air, whereby the water is agitated, for the purpose of carrying off theair contained in the water and whereby the resulting cake of ice is clear. This supply of air'must be clean in order to prevent any contamination from entering the ice, and it must be dry in order to prevent the small tube through which it passes into the water from being choked by ice formed therein.

Referring to the drawing, the air pump 1 supplies a stream of air at high pressure, say 7 5 lbs. per sq.' inch, to the pipe 2, which passes therefrom to the bottom of the well 3. Here the air is released into the bottom of the water pipe 4, in which it rises swiftly and carries some of thewater from the Well. This is the wel,lknown air-lift well pump. The pipe 4 leads'from the wellinto a closed separator chamber 5, into which the water and air is discharged. This separating chamber 5 is of considerable vertical depth andthe water from the discharge end of the pipe 4 falls to the bottom thereof and is thus pump and had to be independently cooled,

separated from the air which is discharged from the said pipe 4. A water outlet pipe 6 leads upward from thebottom of the closed separating chamber 5 and has an open air pipe 7 connected to it near its free outlet, which empties the water from the closed separating chamber into a tank 9, or other receptacle, asneeded. An air pipe 10 leaves the top of the separator chamber 5 and passes to the ice'making plant, and is provided with a series of small tubes 11, each entering one of the ice cans 12 and blowing the air into the Water therein, to agitate it and thus to carry off the air imprisoned in the water. A

'valve18 is positioned in the entrance of the said pipe 10 and is guided by means of a stem 14 therein. This valve 13 is supported by means of a float 15,'resting in the water in said chamber 5 and connected to the valve 13 by means of a rod 16. Thus the flow of air from the chamber 5 is increased when the pressure therein is increased to lower the level of the water therein, thus lowering the float 15 and opening the valve 13; or the air flow is cut down when the pressure is reduced, permitting the water level to rise and thus raise the float and partly close the valve.

The air thus supplied to the ice cans was formerly supplied by an independent air washed and dried. 0

The pressure of the air in the closed separating chambers 5 depends on the difference in the levels of the surface of the water therein and in the outlet pipe 6 at the open air pipe 7 If the level of the water in the bottom-of the closed separatingchamber 5 iskept constant, the air pressure therein and in the air pipelO will be constant, and the welght of air passing out of the pipe 10 will equal the weight of air suppliedby the air pump 1, but its pressure and volume will be different.

When the air is compressed in the air pump 1 its temperature is raised as its volume is reduced. This air is forced down in the well 3,,against the water pressureatits end. As it thus passes downward in the well, its temperature is reduced to about that of the surrounding water. The humidity of the air increases as the temperature is lowered and reaches the saturation or dew point for the particular pressure and temperature of the water. When the air is released into the Water pipe 4 it comes in close contact with the water, and is usually broken up into plungers, by means of battles or otherwise, which alternate with plungers of water. Each plunger of air thus formed comes in contact with the cold water and condenses all the remaining moisture thereon and, as it rises in the pipe 4, very quickly, its pressure, and consequently its temperature, is reduced and it continues in this dry state, without absorbing moisture from the adjacent water plunger until it is released. into the closed separating chamber 5. The air in this chamber is substantially dry, that is to say it has. substantially only that amount of moisture therein corresponding with the high pressure 1 a body of water in forming the air, p1ungers,;

and low temperature of the bottom ofthe Well, and frost does not form in the tubes l1v as it is used. Also, since it has passed through at the bottom of the well 3, it has been thoroughly washed and all contamination has been removed therefrom. I V 3 Thus it will be seen that by means of this apparatus I am able to eliminate an air pump, with its air washing and drying apparatus,

1 and to provide a clean and dry supply of air rating chamber 5.

to the ice machine with only the slight additional power required to pump the water against the back pressure of the closed sepa- Having, therefore, what I claim is r p I 1. The process of supplying clean dry air to an ice machine comprising, passing air under high pressure through cooling means and thereby condensing the water therein; partially releasing the. pressure of the air while maintaining it above atmospheric pressure; and conducting the air at such reduced pressure to the ice machine. I

described my invention,

chamber above the atmospheric pressure, whereby the airliftwater well is operated against an air back-pressure; separating the air to an ice machine comprising, an air pump; an air-lift water well operated by said air pump and provided with an outlet pipe; a closed separating chamber into which said outlet pipe pours itsmixed air and its intake within said separating chamber whereby, when a sufficient air pressure is maintained in saidchamber, the waterwill water; a water pipe having its outlet above.

flow therefrom; means forma'intaining the level of the water in said separating chamber at a level below the outlet pipe of the air-lift water well; and an air pipe leading from the upper end of said chamber and adapted to convey the air therefrom to the ice machine. 5. An apparatus for supplying clean dry air to an ice machine comprising, an air pump; an air-lift water well operated by a said air pump and provided with an outlet pipe; a closed separating chamber into which said outlet pipe empties; a water pipe having its outlet above its intake within saiclseparating chamber and adapted to empty the water therefrom under pressure therein; an air pipe leading from the upper end of said chamber and adapted to convey the air there from to the ice machine; and a valve between said separating chamber and said air pipe and operated by the level ofthe water in the separating chamber, whereby the air presj sure in the separating chamber iskept constant. V JOSEPH FOLGO.

2. The process of supplying clean dry air I to an ice machine comprising, passing air. under high pressure through a pipe immersed 1n cold water, therebycoohngthe a1r and:

condensing the moisture therein; releasing said a1r 1nto a water pipe and thereby raising the water therein as the air. rises; pouring the mixed air and water from said water pipe into a separating chamber, whereby the water 18 permitted to fall to a lower level than the outlet of said water pipe and whereby the air leaves the water as it is poured into the chamber; maintaining the air pressure therein at a pressure above atmospheric pressure,

but lower than said high pressure; and conducting said air at such reduced pressure to the ice machine.

3. The process of supplying clean dry air- 

